M.Phil. / The foundation of Earned Value Performance Management (EVPM) was the cost/Schedule Control Systems Criteria originally defined in the USA in 1967. Earned Value Performance Management has traditionally been used in Defense projects with budgets in excess of R100M. Private industry is now implementing EVPM for major projects, which are large, complex or geographically dispersed. It is the objective of this dissertation to determine whether the Earned Value concept as developed over the years to the form it is in today is being used in the South African construction industry or not. As part of this dissertation the author devised and distributed a questionnaire to a limited and targeted demographic of Project Management practitioners. The results found that the concept of Earned value is being used in some form or other in selected few companies within the South African Construction industry. While it has been recognized, it's benefits are not being fully utilized. The benefit of the Earned Value concept contributing to the successful completion of a project is being acknowledged and more and more construction companies are slowly making Earned Value an intricate part of their Project Management system

M.A. (Social Science) / GOVERNMENT VILLAGE VEREENIGING - a client system in social work. Upon closer evaluation of this title the following aspects emerge: - The research was restricted by the brief to upgrade this specific community's quality of life. In the execution of the brief the entire community became the client system, and the system likewise the research area. - Systems theory was used as an avenue of approach because the community as a system can be divided into groups, families and individuals each as a separate sub-system functioning as such in the development programme. In the development programme community work was mainly used. Initially the project, known as II Project Government Village", was undertaken in order to establish a community profile; when the shortcomings in the community emerged, the candidate took the opportunity to launch community work action. The community profile, together with community work served as the context of this literature and empirically founded exercise. The report illustrates the paradigm of researcher being social worker and vice versa.

M.A. / A review of research titles produced since 1985 at RAU indicates that no formal research has been conducted on the evaluation of the counselling psychology curriculum. An overview of the literature in this field indicates that the profession has not consolidated a unique identity, and its evolution continues since its inception in approximately 1890 together with the origination of the general field of psychology. It thus becomes difficult to define a standard counselling psychology curriculum in this changing growth process, and this study examines only a single curriculum while attempting to determine efficiency, effectiveness and relevance within the changing South African context. Thus while the literature and existing theoretical models served to provide some bench marks in the evaluation process in terms of current trends, the related needs of a diverse and changing South African population were also utilised. It was anticipated that this evaluation process would provide the training system with relevant feedback to be used for possible future implementation. Given the limitations of a dissertation the aim was not to conduct an empirical study, but rather to obtain as much useful information as possible by using a questionnaire with rating scales and open ended questions in order to best determine efficiency, effectiveness and relevance of the training curriculum. While the analysis of the results appears to show that students experienced overall satisfaction with training, except for some modules, a trend is also noted where the programme itself has evolved by better meeting the needs of students. However, it is indicated that the programme does not adequately prepare students for the demands of private practice, and that the emphasis is too academic and less applied, which results in producing adequate knowledge but inadequate skills. Serious consideration is found to be needed regarding the relevance of the curriculum in terms of the broader South African community and needs.

D.Phil. / The focus of the social work profession's efforts are the enhancing or restoring of the interaction of people with the systems that comprise their environment, i.e. their social functioning. A person's career or employment is naturally a vital system in their environment. Not only does a person earn a living from their work, but meet many psychological and emotional needs through work. Social work has been increasingly made aware of the integral part that a person's occupation plays in their intra- and interpersonal functioning. Assisting a client then, to recognize and utilize resources to make career related decisions and manage career related decisions is therefore a challenge to the profession. The purpose of this study was therefore to propose a life-counselling model, based on the life model of Germain and Gitterman that addresses a client's systemic functioning holistically, but then move son in the second phase to address career choices and management. Firstly the study presented an integrated methodological process for developing a practice model together with the necessary assessment instruments for social work research. This was essential since no methodology could be found in the literature that guided practitioners in the development of a practice model together with it's accompanying assessment instruments. Next a synthesis of current career counselling theory from the fields of psychology, education and industrial psychology, with the ecological model was presented. This formed the theoretical basis for the life-counselling model. The final stage was when four assessment instruments, namely the Sense of Agency Index, the Family of Origins Index, the Work Values Inventory and the Interest Inventory were designed, and a validation study conducted. Recommendations were made with regard to the final construction of the life counselling practice model.

Magister Bibliothecologiae - MBibl / This study investigates the effectiveness of the information literacy education that Master of Business Administration (MBA) students receive at the University of Stellenbosch Business School (USB). The literature reveals that there is a growing trend worldwide to extend information literacy education to include graduate students. The study uses the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Information Literacy Standards for Higher Education Competencies as the theoretical framework together with Kuhlthau’s Information Search Process. Both process and formative evaluation was used in the study. A mixed method approach was applied to gather data for the study using a pre- and post-information literacy questionnaire, interviews with the information literacy facilitator and the research methodology lecturer and a rubric assessment of students’ group assignment. The information literacy intervention focuses mainly on ACRL Standard 1, with more emphasis on ACRL Standard 2. ACRL Standards 3, 4 and 5 were briefly mentioned as it was difficult to cover all the ACRL Standards adequately within a once-off information literacy session. The results of the study show that the information literacy intervention was successful in introducing students to some of the electronic resources which is one of the major objectives of the intervention. Students’ scores in the pre- and post-information literacy questionnaire and the group assignment were high. This could be an indication that the information literacy intervention was a success. The interviews with the information literacy facilitator and the research methodology lecturer reveal that little collaboration between the library and business academics is taking place. This lack of collaboration affects the quality of the information literacy education in terms of business academics input in the information literacy intervention and in terms of reinforcing information literacy outcomes in students’ assignments. One of the recommendations is that collaborative relationships should be developed between the library and business academics in order to develop an information literacy plan that will fully integrate information literacy within Masters’ courses.

The policy and practice of RPL (Recognition of Prior Learning) remains a contested area in the higher education sector. While a growing body of research on RPL has become available, little is known about the quality assurance dimensions of this policy and its current expression in higher education practice. Accordingly, this study seeks to provide a comprehensive and detailed portrait of the manner in which RPL is implemented in the Faculty of Education at the University of Pretoria. The central question is does the RPL system that is in place at this institution meet national and international requirements for quality and quality assurance? If not, what are the reasons and how can the faculty improve its RPL practice? The research sub-questions addressed are the following: <ul> <li> What is the quality of the inputs used to design the RPL that is in place in the Faculty of Education at the University of Pretoria?</li> <li> How does the Faculty of Education at the University of Pretoria assess RPL candidates for their prior learning? </li> <li> What is the effect of the output of the RPL system on client satisfaction?</li></ul> A mixed methods research design was used for this study. A single Faculty (Education) was selected as the data collection site, to reveal the deeper and nuanced impact of the process of implementation of the RPL programme. A semi-structured interview schedule administered to the senior managers of the faculty was to elicit information on how the RPL system was conceptualised and designed. This process included the Dean (Faculty of Education); Head of Department (Curriculum Studies); Head of Department (Educational Management, Law and Policy Studies); Director (Centre for Evaluation and Assessment) and the Director (Centre for Joint Science, Mathematics and Technology Education). To determine whether there is a link between what the Quality Assurance Unit of the university promotes and application of such principles and procedures at service delivery level, an interview with the Director of the QA Unit was done. Other interviews involved students (undergraduates and postgraduates); the non-academic staff and lecturers within all the departments of the faculty, to determine whether they knew or were aware of RPL related activities in the faculty. An observation tool was constructed to examine the quality of the assessment process, which involved RPL learners, assessors, evidence facilitators, verifiers, moderators and RPL administrators. A questionnaire was administered to RPL learners involved in the assessment process to determine their satisfaction with the output of the RPL programme. Lecturers who participated in the RPL assessment process were interviewed to determine their experiences. Finally, an observational checklist was used to determine quality indicators at macro (administrative) and micro (academic) levels. The data was analysed using pattern matching, discrepancy, content and interpretational analyses methods. The research findings presented are in the form of a “thick” narrative on the quality of RPL implementation, that is, what the faculty should do to improve or strengthen the current system, and a portrayal of how the RPL programme truly operates. The findings indicate that a relatively good system of RPL provisioning is in place in the Faculty of Education, with a few areas of concern (weaknesses). The major problem is that this system is not benefiting the majority of people it was intended for. The system is “selective” and “exclusionary” in nature. There are clear procedures and processes for RPL assessment, which are adhered to strictly by faculty assessors. The RPL system that is currently in place is satisfactory to those who were assessed for prior learning during the period 2003-2006 and unsatisfactory at the level of the lecturers who participated in the assessment process. Most of them indicated that RPL is an add-on activity to their workloads, with very little incentives from management. To those who were not part of the assessment process, but were assumed to have received information from the faculty, the findings indicated that they knew very little about RPL and how it is being assessed in the faculty. From the client’s perspective, most (eighty four percent) said if they knew how this system operates in the faculty, they would want to be assessed for their prior learning. An extensive examination of the RPL practice in the Faculty of Education gave useful insights on the quality of RPL provisioning. Future research needs to concentrate on evaluations on how RPL is implemented in the other faculties of the university. Second to this, is to begin to provide answers as to what causes full-scale implementation of RPL problematic in the higher education sector, to provide empirical data to policy makers for decision-making purposes. Thirdly, to provide solutions towards the sustainability of the RPL system in the higher education sector, there is a need to do studies on the cost-effectiveness of RPL implementation. / Thesis (PhD (Assessment and Quality Assurance in Education and Training))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Curriculum Studies / PhD / unrestricted

No description available.

This program evaluated the effectiveness of the program interventions implemented during the 2002-2003 school year in the Riverside County Office of Education's Cal-SAFE pregnant and parenting minor program. Two researchers divided the twelve school sites, gathered data and formulated information to assess the effectiveness of the program on continuance or completion of high school after teen pregnancy.

No description available.

Poverty is the most problematic social problem facing the South African society today. Its causes have been associated with many factors such as the high rate of unemployment, HIV/AIDS, low educational backgrounds of people and others. In order to reduce poverty and other conditions of exclusion, government has introduced the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) which is concentrated on the mobilization of resources from government institutions and non-governmental organizations towards the improvement of the quality of life of the communities, especially those which were historically disadvantaged. The RDP is realized through a number of different programmes which are conducted by different government departments and nongovernmental organizations. One of these programmes is the Poverty Relief Programme (PRP) which was formulated by the Department of Social Development and implemented and evaluated by some of the provincial departments of Health and Welfare. This study is about the evaluation of the formulation, implementation and evaluation of the PRP in the Limpopo Province within the context of the RDP from a social work perspective. In order to successfully evaluate the PRP, the researcher has categorized this study into three objectives, which form this report. The first objective was to conduct an extensive literature investigation regarding poverty as a social problem, public policy and the RDP and the PRP. Poverty was identified as a social problem because it is a condition of deprivation which affects a large number of people and communities due to the previous South African apartheid dispensation. Poverty is said to affect the poor due to their cultural orientation because they are lazy to work, they fail to suppress their immediate gratification, they consume large amounts of substances, they keep large family households which have the highest incidents of domestic violence and child and wife physical and sexual abuse, they do not obtain the opportunities available to them for their development and they have high rates of divorce. The second analogous view of poverty is that it is caused by the inadequate social policies and social programmes, which are developed to assist the poor. This view explains that poverty is evident due to the reason that the social policies and social programmes are weak in eradicating it. At this level, the researcher attempted to distinguish between the concepts public policy, social policy and a social programme. The public policy is every policy which is developed by cabinet, which when closely viewed, it has types such as the social policy, economic policy, defense policy, foreign policy and the environmental policy. The RDP is a social policy which is realized through a number of social programmes, one of them being the PRP. This study conceptualized the public policy through discussions of its theoretical models, namely; the descriptive and prescriptive models regarding public policy making. The former is aimed at explaining the public policy making process whilst the latter explains the outcomes or the impacts associated with public policy making. This study suggested that public policy making is made possible when it is conducted through a specific process which has five phases, namely; the policy agenda, policy formulation, policy adoption, policy implementation and policy evaluation. The RDP has already been mentioned as a social policy, which could be realized through social programmes, one of them being the PRP. The PRP is a social programme, which has an aim of alleviating poverty within South African communities. It is effective in achieving its mission through conducting a number of projects which are as follows: food security initiatives, community development structures, development of the self-help organizations, the aged and child care, the disabled, youth who are deviant, financial planning and management and monitoring and evaluation. This study was aimed at evaluating whether the objectives of the PRP were adequately formulated, implemented and evaluated towards the eradication of poverty in the South African context. The second objective of this study was to conduct an empirical investigation with regard to the formulation, implementation and evaluation of the PRP in the Limpopo Province. The researcher utilized the exploratory research design because the evaluation of the PRP in the Limpopo Province has not been done before. The research project utilized the quantitative and qualitative research methodologies, which were combined into a mixed methodological design model. The populations for the study were a PRP framework, the key-informants who participated during the implementation of the projects and the community development officers who participated during the formulation, implementation and evaluation of the PRP. This also called for a variety of the sampling methods, namely; the judgmental sampling method, the stratified random sampling method and the simple random sampling method which were used to select the key-informants, and the systematic random sampling method which was used to select the community development officers. The research data were also collected through a variety of data collection methods, namely; content analysis was used to collect quantitative data regarding the formulation of the PRP as document; semi-structured interviews were utilized to collect both quantitative and qualitative data regarding the implementation of the PRP from the key-informants; and the self-administered questionnaires were used to collect the quantitative and qualitative data regarding the formulation, implementation and evaluation of the PRP from the community development officers. The data for this study were analysed through two methods, namely: the quantitative data were analysed manually and were expressed into tables and figures and the qualitative data were analysed through the coding process which was contributed by Creswell (1998). The empirical investigation for this study purported the following important research findings regarding the formulation, implementation and evaluation of the PRP in the Limpopo Province: (i) the content analysis revealed that the PRP has objectives which are not related to the reduction of poverty in the communities, such as the community development structures which are not an objective but rather a prerequisite for every project, youth who are deviant, the aged and child care which could be effective if developed into programmes already available in the field of gerontology and the child support grant, financial planning and management, monitoring and evaluation which is a phase of the community development project. (ii) the semi-structured interviews revealed that community development projects and community needs are being identified by the community development officers on behalf of communities and that most of the projects are inadequately funded and as such they fail to sustainably develop communities. (iii) the self-administered questionnaires revealed that most community development officers hold standard ten as their highest educational qualification which is highly available in the communities they serve, they do not have a professional background and are not registered with the professional council which is recognized in the country, the PRP was formulated centrally at the Department of Social Development and is being implemented and evaluated by some of the provincial departments of Health and Welfare and that the funding for the community development projects is insufficient. The third objective of the study was to make conclusions and recommendations based on the research findings with regard to the effective formulation, implementation and evaluation of the PRP in the Limpopo Province. It has been concluded in this study that the poor implementation and evaluation of the PRP in the Limpopo Province is due to the absence of a specific framework, and the researcher recommended that such a document must be developed. Poor implementation and evaluation of the PRP in the Limpopo Province is due to the centralization of the programme and therefore the researcher recommends that the department of Social Development must be decentralized to the provinces. The researcher concluded that the grassroots are denied an opportunity to actively participate in the formulation, implementation and evaluation of the PRP, and he therefore recommended that the grassroots must be involved in the identification of their community needs and projects, their planning, implementation and evaluation. Another limitation of the PRP was mentioned as poor funding of the community development projects, and the researcher maintained that if the projects are adequately funded, they will sustainably develop communities. The researcher is of the opinion that community development practitioners must hold high educational qualifications which are not available in the communities they serve and that immediately such practitioners interact with the communities, they must be required to be registered with a recognized professional council. / Thesis (DPhil (Social Work))--University of Pretoria, 2004. / Social Work and Criminology / Unrestricted